10 Best Characters To Play As In Jump Force

The release of Shoōen Jump’s Jump Force is now just a few short months away. Anime fans—as well as gamers—can’t wait to get behind the controls of some of anime’s greatest characters. Jump Force gives gamers the opportunity to finally settle who the toughest of Shōnen Jump’s lineup really is. Whether you’re going old school and can’t wait to see Kenshin Himura take on Zolo in a battle for the title of manga’s greatest swordsman, or just wanna prove once and for all that Goku is the King of Fighters — we’ll take a look at the 10 fighters we can’t wait to get behind. (Personally, I can’t wait to watch Yusuke from Yu Yu Hakusho take on Yugi Muto, King of Games. But that's just me.)

10 10. Kurapika (Hunter x Hunter)

Kurapika, the scarlet-eyed sole survivor of the Kurta-Clan, is one of the most talented Nen users in all of Hunter x Hunter. It’ll be interesting to see how his Nen abilities, the Conjured Chains, and Emperor Time will make the transition to video games. How will be hold up against some of the strongest names in manga history? We’ll just have to assume that the stipulations—under which he is able to use the Conjured Chains—have been relaxed a little as it seems like Hisoka Morow will be the only member of the Phantom Troupe present for the events of Jump Force.

9 9. Asta (Black Clover)

The loud-mouthed, anti-magic using main character of Black Clover is the first swordsman on a list (with a few more talented swordsmen to come). Asta is one of the most physically strong characters in his own series, so it’ll be exciting to see just how much of that strength is transferred over to the game. His three Demon Swords and his Demon form sure seem like they’ll be able to hold their own against some of manga’s greatest heroes and villains. Asta may not be the smartest character on this list, but with a talented player controlling him, Asta may just be the sharpest tool in the shed.

8 8. Goku (Dragon Ball Z)

Goku is probably the most popular character on this list — maybe even throughout all of anime. For many people, Goku is the Super Saiyan that kicked off their entire journey through the medium, so he’s a no-brainer addition to a list like this. Who hasn’t spent time trying to successfully perform a Kamehameha Wave or tried letting their rage fuel a transformation to a full-blown Super Saiyan? It doesn’t matter how long it’s been since he first appeared manga or when his last great fight was because Goku is always ready for a good scrap. If he’s not the toughest guy in the ring then you can certainly bet he will be.

MORE: 10 Reasons Why Goku Could Destroy Naruto (And 10 Why Naruto Would Win)

7 7. Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece)

One of Shōnen Jump’s “Big Three,” Monkey D. Luffy is the most flexible and formidable pirates in all of manga. With the elastic powers bestowed upon him by the Gum-Gum fruit, Luffy is certainly a strong contender for one of the toughest playable characters in the game. Like the rest of the “Big Three,” Luffy is no stranger to video game adaptations, so taking control of the leader of the infamous Straw Hat Pirates may come second nature to some players. Some fans have been following Luffy’s adventure for nearly a thousand episodes of anime, so just make sure to grab him quickly if your playing with any One Piece fans.

6 6. Naruto Uzumaki (Naruto)

What is there to say about the knuckleheaded, loud-mouthed Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village that hasn’t already been said? Naruto is no stranger to fighting games, which may give him a bit of an advantage when it comes to taking down some of the other characters. But if that doesn’t give him enough of an advantage, then he can always call on Kurama or lean on his Six Paths Sage Mode to carry him through the worst of the worst. Believe it! And if you don’t believe it, then Naruto’s got two fists and nine tails that would argue otherwise.

NEXT: The Boruto Saga Brings Back One of Naruto's Deadliest Villains

5 5. Ichigo Kurosaki (Bleach)

Ichigo Kurosaki Bleach

We haven’t seen much from Ichigo Kurosaki since Bleach ended a few years ago, but it’s always good to see everyone’s favorite substitute Shinigami geared up and ready for battle.

It looks like we’ll be getting Ichigo from the final 1000-Year Blood War arc, which means we’ll have a chance to test out the latest and greatest iteration of Ichigo’s Shikai on anyone that dares stand up to the soul society’s number one substitute Soul Reaper.

Ichigo is just the second swordsman on our list, but with a roster filled with the greatest swordsmen in manga history, you can be sure that Ichigo will have a chance to test out his skills on even greater challenges than ever before.

4 4. Yugi Muto (Yu-Gi-Oh!)

Yugi Muto, the King of Games. It's not really a name you think of when you think about the greatest fighters in all of manga history, though. Great Duelist, sure, but it may be a little hard for Yugi to hold his own against the likes of Frieza or someone like Yusuke Urameshi. Luckily enough for Yugi is that he won’t need to hold his own against anyone. He'll rely on the Heart of the Cards to guide him right into victory. Even if no one else is fighting with Duel Monsters cards...

3 3. Yusuke Urameshi (Yu Yu Hakusho)

Spirit Detective Yusuke Urameshi hasn’t really been on the scene for a while, so it’s a good thing that Jump decided to bring him out to play. Any collection of Jump’s greatest characters would not be complete with brash, stubborn, and utterly incorrigible Yusuke.

While fans of Yu Yu Hakusho know exactly what Urameshi’s bringing to the table in regards to firepower, some new fans may be interested to learn about Yusuke’s immense spiritual powers and his devasting Rei-Gun. This can and should rival just about anything any of the other fighters maybe be able to throw his way.

2 2. Himura Kenshin (Rurouni Kenshin)

Himura Kenshin (aka Battousai, the Manslayer himself) is about as deadly a swordsman as they come. Or at least he used to be before he decided to give all that up and start traveling Japan with his reverse-blade sword. While most of the other swordsmen in Jump Force use magic katana or other swords that they can’t even carry in their own two hands, Himura Kenshin is a classic samurai. He doesn’t need any fancy magic, anti-magic, spirit powers, or anything else besides his katana and his instincts. Kenshin may not be willing to kill any of the other fighters but that sure doesn’t mean he isn’t willing to hurt them.

NEXT: Final Form: The 25 Strongest Anime Villains Ever, Officially Ranked

1 1. Izuku Midoriya (My Hero Academia)

Izuku Midoriya, or Deku as he’s better known as, may be one of the newer kids on the block but he’s definitely no stranger to a good old fashioned brawl. With All for One on his side, Deku is sure to be able to keep up with some of the bigger names on this list. It’ll be interesting to see whether the folks over at Jump decide to make Deku’s quirk inflict damage on himself in the game as it does in the manga. But even with that potential handicap, Deku—with the help of the power of All for One—should be ready to take on the greatest heroes and villains of Shōnen Jump’s publication history. We’ll just have to see how he fares when the game is released this February.